Elites, language, and the politics of identity
Subtitle: the Norwegian case in comparative perspective
By: Gregg Bucken-Knapp.
Series: SUNY series in national identities
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Published: 2003
Place of publication: Albany
Language: eng
Number of pages: 193
Subjects: Norwegian language (Nynorsk) -- History -- 19th century.; Norwegian language -- Social aspects -- 19th century.; Norwegian language -- Social aspects -- 20th century.; Sami language.; Nationalism -- Norway -- History.
Description: "Why and when do linguistic cleavages within a nation become politicized? Using Norway - where language has played a particularly silent role in the nation's history - as a case study, Gregg Bucken-Knapp explores these questions and challenges the notion that the politicization of language conflict is a response to language problems. He shows that political elites often view language conflict as a political opportunity, placing it on the policy agenda as an effective mobilizing tool to serve their own nonlinguistic political ends. Although language-oriented interest groups may fight to achieve desired language policies, they are generally unsuccessful when their preferences clash with the broader objectives of political elites. This book focuses on understanding just how language policies emerge."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 179-187) and index.